Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s enforcement agencies have yielded significant success during enforcement operations over the past week, nearly double the arrests made from the previous week.
Enforcement agencies managed to arrest 231 suspects and issue 83 252 fines, during operations throughout the metropole.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said Metro Police officers arrested 26 suspects for the illegal possession and dealing in drugs.
He said, on Sunday, a 39-year-old man was arrested after he was spotted dropping a pistol and five live rounds of ammunition. The suspect was detained at Manenberg Police Station.
On the same day, a 29-year-old man was arrested for reckless and negligent driving, and driving under the influence, when officers pulled him over.
On Friday, Metro police officers arrested two suspects, aged 38 and 53, after officers from the Camera Response Unit received information about alcohol being sold, on the corners of Buitenkant and Glynn Street, in Cape Town.
The suspects were found in possession of 13 five-litre boxes of wine, 13 one-litre, and four 750ml bottles of wine.
Smith said Traffic Service officers arrested 81 suspects, impounded 76 vehicles, confiscated 188 cell phones, and issued 76 469 vehicle and road safety-related fines.
He said illegal street racing remains a big challenge within the city. This past week, officers arrested 13 motorists for reckless and negligent driving, seven for driving while under the influence of alcohol, and issued 554 fines during drag racing operations.
Law Enforcement conducted 491 operations, which led to the arrest of 84 suspects, and the issuing of 4 924 fines.
Officers attached to the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) accounted for 72 of the arrests and 302 fines issued.
Smith said 469 fines were issued for not wearing face masks.
“The City's law enforcement officers have been strictly enforcing the mandatory requirement for people to wear masks when out in public places. The fine is R1 000, but officers are still seeing people who are not adhering to the National Disaster Management Act regulations stipulating that it is law to wear a mask in public.
“The requirement to wear a mask in public is still the law, and officers will continue to vigorously enforce these regulations.
“The City’s law enforcement supports SAPS in enforcing the National Disaster Management Act,” he said.
IOL